mips_avatar is describing neither.

It is literally impossible to prove a negative, that’s how conspiracy thinking operates and it’s why fortunately the justice system operates on the opposite principle and requires proof of guilt.

It’s true that in some circumstances we require avoiding even the appearance of impropriety or a conflict of interest, but that’s simply too large a burden to impose on everyone all of the time, especially for allegedly dire sins like “having a roommate who works for a Google”